5 transferable skills you need to go from homemaker to employee
What happens when the homemaker decides to return to formal employment? She is usually greeted with disdain for having ‘wasted’ her time at home and missed out on the latest developments in the industry. Though she is likely to be a bit out of touch with the nitty gritty of being an employee, a homemaker will, during the course of her homemaking, acquire some fine skills that make her an even more valuable employee than someone who has not experienced life outside the workplace. [bctt tweet=” A successful homemaker makes a successful employee” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Here are some of the transferable skills a homemaker already has: Time-keeping With so much to achieve on a daily basis, successful homemakers always keep their eye on the clock. If your meetings tend to stretch forever, and you cannot seem to stay on schedule for your targets, someone with homemaking experience can turn that around for you. Through experience, homemakers understand the effect of allowing tasks to take up too long to complete, of failing to have something done in time, and of the benefits of scheduling right off the bat. Planning Homemakers are, of necessity planners. From household chore to family events, these women have a skill that some employees still need to be taught. A homemaker understands the difference between a daily, weekly and monthly plan. Meal planning is one way they practice this. She needs to plan for daily meals, which will be the foundation of her weekly or even monthly shopping trips. At the same time, she masters making adjustments, improvising, scheduling and reviewing. [bctt tweet=”If your team needs someone who seamlessly integrates tasks together, you may need a homemaker” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Multi-tasking Homemaking tasks are varied, numerous and as diverse as the lives involved. The basics of homemaking encompass cooking, cleaning, childcare, gardening, tutoring, house maintenance and so on. In a single day, she will have to deal with some or even all of these tasks. With only 24 hours in a day, multi-tasking is something learned out of necessity. The trick with multi-tasking is that while it is necessary, it needs to be done in a logical manner to be effective. While you can listen to your child’s reading while cooking, for example, it becomes illogical to attempt it while you are vacuuming. If your team needs someone who seamlessly integrates tasks together, you may need to give the homemaker a chance. Creativity Creativity is one of those skills that is difficult to define and teach to a person. It is best learned in context. And what better context than in the home, where routine can soon lead to boredom in so many ways. From the layout of furniture to meals and family activities, there comes a time where a new approach is demanded of you. When work and business solutions start to get mundane, the homemaker will seldom be out of depth. Negotiation Who engages the part-time help to complete a task in the shortest time possible for the lowest cost? Who meets the meter man at the gate and diverts any attempt to disconnect services? Who sets the terms for play dates, physical boundaries, and social events? The very same tasks in the context of a formal work environment can be assigned to the woman who already has lots of experience form home. In some cases, it’s the homemaker herself who needs to be reminded of all the wealth of experience that she brings to the workforce. There is no reason to feel inferior or incompetent. A successful homemaker makes a successful employee.
Handling “many eggs” in one basket: How to manage the hustle
[bctt tweet=”Several eggs in your hustle basket? Here’s how to be effective ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You have a great full-time job but because of passion and interests, there are many other eggs in your hustle basket. It’s becoming a struggle to be on top of your game in your different work zones and this is a huge pain point for you. How the can you be more effective and ace each hustle? Proper planning So you’re a lawyer by day but also run online bi-weekly legal training sessions for your Facebook community? Or you’re a bank employee during the week and an event planner during the weekends? You need to plan ahead. What are the things you need to achieve per week or per month in each work zone? How can activities be spread across to enable you to perform them efficiently? For instance, you may need to take out a day to plan weekly/monthly activities. You will also draw out a schedule of when to perform specific tasks and follow through. A good plan is a foundation for work effectiveness. [bctt tweet=”A good plan is a foundation for work effectiveness” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Time management It’s one thing to have a plan and it is another to follow through. Yes, you need to follow through otherwise you’d keep going round in circles. This means deliberate scheduling of planned activities and allocation of timelines. Most times, we waste time on activities that do not in any way help towards our big picture. This makes our other work zones suffer. So you get on Instagram looking at lovely pictures, fashion statements and couple goals when you are supposed to be writing a book, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour? Wehdone ma, when do you think you’d finish that book? You need to start prioritising. Of course, you can take part in other activities but it shouldn’t be at the expense of your A-game. Delegation/outsourcing By now, you must have realised that you cannot do all. Either because you do not have enough time or you do not have enough expertise in certain areas. You can achieve this by employing interns or entering a partnership with another business. I can hear someone say, “but that would cost money”. Well, it may not always be free but could cost you something which is not necessarily money. Once you’ve identified the areas you need to delegate or outsource, then you need to get creative with payment options. What then can you offer the person rendering you a service? If you are an accountant, you could offer to manage their books. If you’re the lawyer offering online legal sessions, you can offer legal training to the Facebook or Whatsapp community of the expert you are delegating to. The idea is to get creative in delivering value because trust me, you need help and you may not have all the money to pay. [bctt tweet=”Get creative in delivering, you need help and you may not have all the money to pay” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Automation You should automate certain tasks. It makes things faster and saves you much needed time. For instance, you need to upload content on various social media platforms. Instead of going from one to the other, get an app that helps you reach all at the same time. Or you work in a bank but bake for your clients too and you still want to be mixing your dough manually? Dear Motherland Mogul, you do not have time for that, invest in the right equipment. Please automate certain tasks so that it can increase your efficiency in other areas. Remember, asides work you still have other areas of life where your attention is needed: religion, relationship, social impact. [bctt tweet=”Automate certain tasks so that it can increase your efficiency in other areas ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Adequate rest You also need to rest and engage in leisure activities. If you do not have good health or you are not well rested, there is no way that you can focus and act efficiently on the job. You need to be deliberate about your health and wellbeing. Eat well, rest well, have fun and when it’s time to work, go make us proud. We are here cheering you on!
How smart women multi-task
The idea that women-led or owned businesses are usually on a small-scale basis, run out of homes and often have less than five employees, is old. We have outgrown the ‘cookies and crafts’ stereotype and have our sights set on bigger goals now. In case you haven’t noticed, we now manage boardrooms while keeping things in check at the home-front. As women, we are wired to multi-task, whether as mothers, professionals, athletes, students, entrepreneurs or any of the other limitless titles we take on. It’s no wonder we are superwomen – efficient multi-tasking demands a lot of discipline! If you’re still trying to uncover your super-powers, this article will help. Practice how to multi-task Practice is essential to mastering any skill. Take a look at all you need to do in a day and pick a few routine tasks to start with. Begin with carrying out few routine tasks, then move on to slightly more difficult ones. Introducing a routine involves doing specific tasks at the same time, the same way, every day. Once something becomes routine, it gets easier, even if you’re not totally focused on it. Make a to-do list At the close of every work day, make a list of tasks for the next day. This will help you both prioritize and plan for the next day, while ensuring that you address the most important tasks first. Pay attention to the task at hand Steer clear of distractions; be wary of emails, chats, and other interference. If working from home, try isolating yourself from family-related intrusions, if at all possible. Minimizing distractions allow for undivided concentration. Schedule tasks and set time frames. Schedule everything breaks, eating, workouts -even showers. Have a deadline or a short turn-around time for tasks, and you’ll surpass your expectations. Through trials and errors, you learn how best and fast to complete tasks. Also, avoid the tendency to take on more than you can handle. Prioritize. You need to have a clear understanding of what tasks are more important. That way, you are able to give more attention to high-yielding tasks. The low payoff items should be at the bottom. Following up on clients, returning calls and generating new leads should be at the top, but emailing a friend to tell them about your date doesn’t fall into that category. Take Note: If you have 10 or 20 priorities, you don’t really have priorities. Know when you work best I work in consultancy, and more often than not, my work can be done at any time of day. However, I work better in the mornings, so I try scheduling work for that time when I am the most productive. Each person has a best time for work. Discover yours by monitoring your productivity on a daily basis, then learn to dedicate your best time of the day for your most important work. Group similar tasks Activities that are similar, are easier to work on at the same time. Consider setting specific times for checking emails during the day instead of checking every other time. When organizing priorities, try grouping similar tasks, as focusing on similar activities, maximizes effectiveness. Delegate Everyone talks about how awesome it is to multi-task, but let’s be honest, you can accomplish much more with extra hands! Some people are of the belief that multitasking is all theory, and so, impossible. But, tasks still have to get done in the shortest time possible. Assess the tasks you are personally able to, and the ones good enough for delegation. For example, writing social media updates and having someone else edit them for posting. Use waiting time efficiently Always take along some work, especially if you have to be in places like the airport, bank, or doctor’s office, where waiting is inevitable. Take time out Allow yourself some needed rest. Take a break when you can, take walks around the building or just meditate. If you feel overwhelmed, to improve concentration, replenish your body with water or a snack. Learn to say NO Know your limitations, so you aren’t biting off more than you can chew.